What's New @ IEEE in Power

July 2006 Volume 7, Number 7

IN THIS ISSUE:
1. 2007 International Future Energy Challenge Now Open
2. Canadian Team Wins Fuel Economy Race
3. New Project Aims at Protecting the Grid
4. Harnessing the Kinetic Energy of Power Walking
5. Japanese Power Conversion Conference Seeks Paper Submissions
6. New Combustor Could Fight Air Pollution
7. Citations to IEEE Journals Continue to Climb
8. 41st International UPEC Coming Soon
9. Now Online: First IEEE Journal from 1913
10. New Power Research in the IEEE Xplore Digital Library

WHAT'S NEW IN IEEE PUBLICATIONS THIS WEEK?
Find the latest online technology research:
ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/newinfo.jsp

1. 2007 INTERNATIONAL FUTURE ENERGY CHALLENGE NOW OPEN
The annual International Future Energy Challenge (IFEC) is an international student competition for innovation, conservation, and effective use of electrical energy. The competition is open to college and university student teams from recognized engineering programs in any location. The 2007 competition addresses two broad topic areas: Universal Adapting Battery Charger; and Integrated Starter/Alternator-Motor Drive for Automotive Applications. Schools interested in participating must submit a proposal no later than 18 September 2006. Prizes totaling at least US$50 thousand are expected to be awarded. The major sponsor of the 2007 competition is the IEEE Power Electronics Society. For more information, please visit: www.energychallenge.org

2. CANADIAN TEAM WINS FUEL ECONOMY RACE
Forty teams from the U.S., Canada, and India recently competed in Marshall, Michigan (US) for the sixth annual Supermileage Competition, sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The competition pits students against one another to design and build single-occupancy combustion-engine vehicles, measuring their fuel economy as they race around a track. This year's winners, from the University of British Columbia, traveled 3,145 miles for every one gallon of gas, the equivalent of driving from Vancouver to Halifax. According to the team that designed the car, their victory was due to a streamlined aerodynamic design -- which required the driver to lay down -- lightweight construction, and conservative driving habits. Second place was granted to the Université Laval (Quebeq) who clocked in at 1,823 miles per gallon. The competition is held each year to draw attention to the world's fuel dilemma, and raise awareness of disappearing resources. Read more: www.physorg.com/news70040977.html

3. NEW PROJECT AIMS AT PROTECTING THE GRID
Spurred by the possibility of terrorist attacks on American power grids, researchers at the University of Iowa (US) have secured funding to begin a project that will protect and monitor the 157,810 miles of transmission lines in the country. The system would also help improve conditions by reporting power failures immediately, allowing companies to prevent them from fanning out into larger blackouts. The monitoring system will consist of little black boxes that sense conductor failures, tower collapses, hot spots and other extreme conditions. Tiny cameras may be mounted on the boxes as well to keep an eye out for suspicious activities around power lines. Despite the generous grants they have received to begin the project, however, the researchers must first overcome the obstacle of weather and create a diagnosis algorithm to accurately predict faults. A prototype is already under construction. Read more: www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-06/isu-sap062606.php

4. HARNESSING THE KINETIC ENERGY OF POWER WALKING
London-based Facility Architects is embarking on a new project called Pacesetters, which will attempt to harness the kinetic energy given off from people when they walk. The idea first came about when the American military was looking for a way to power radios while soldiers marched. If the research proves successful, the leaders of the project say it could become a new form of reusable energy. The firm's director, Claire Price, used a London train station as a perfect example of where such a breakthrough could be beneficial. She wrote in her report, "The 34,000 commuters who pass through Victoria underground station at rush hour, for example, could theoretically generate enough energy to power 6,500 LED light fittings." But the project will not just focus on people; the rumblings of passing trucks and airplanes are of interest to the company as well. The first experiment Facility Architects is conducting involves using a staircase fitted with sensors that will convert each footfall into electricity. Read more: www.primidi.com/2006/06/28.html

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
"In the end, utopia has got to be a verb rather than a noun. It's got to be the journey rather than the arrival." ~ Alan Moore

5. JAPANESE POWER CONVERSION CONFERENCE SEEKS PAPER SUBMISSIONS
The Fourth Power Conversion Conference is currently soliciting paper submissions. Authors are encouraged to submit papers on a variety of topics including power semiconductor devices and modules, static power converters and systems, and energy storage systems and new power generation systems. Submission deadline is 12 September. The conference takes place from 2 to 5 April 2007 in Nagoya, Japan. To submit paper, or more information: www.ics-inc.co.jp/pcc/

6. NEW COMBUSTOR COULD FIGHT AIR POLLUTION
Georgia Tech researchers, in conjunction with the NASA University Research Engineering Technology Institute (URETI) Center on Aeropropulsion and Power, have created a new combustor which has the potential to burn fuel in a wide range of devices without producing nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO), both of which lead to air pollution. Called the Stagnation Point Reverse Flow Combustor, the device burns fuel with NOx emissions below 1 parts per million and CO emissions below 10 parts per million, which is much lower than emissions produced by other combustors. While most conductors reduce emissions by premixing fuel with a swirling airflow, the new device injects the fuel and air separately into the combustor while its shape forces them to mix with one another -- and with combustion products -- before ignition occurs. The combustors simple design also makes it less expensive to produce and maintain. Read more: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060625124445.htm

7. CITATIONS TO IEEE JOURNALS CONTINUE TO CLIMB
Each year, the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) from Thomson ISI examine the impact of academic journals by determining how often journals' articles are cited by later research. The 2005 study, released in June 2006, shows that IEEE journals maintain a healthy and growing lead in their field. According to the JCR, IEEE publishes: 18 of the top 20 journals in the field of Electrical and Electronic Engineering; 9 of the top 10 journals in Telecommunications; 8 of top 20 journals in Computer Science, Software Engineering; and high-ranking journals in several additional fields of technology. The JCR ranks journals by their impact factor, defined as the average number of times articles published in a specific journal in the previous two years were cited in a particular year.

8. 41st INTERNATIONAL UPEC COMING SOON
The 41st International Universities Power Engineering Conference (UPEC) will be held in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK between 6-8 September 2006 at Northumbria University. The conference, sponsored by IET, IEEE, and Cigre, will focus on topics of power engineering and will explore new developments and future ideas particularly from young engineers and research students. Highlights will include the conference keynote speech, technical sessions, and the sponsors' exhibition. For more information on the 41^st International UPEC, visit: www.upec2006.org

DID YOU KNOW?
IEEE members can access IEEE Potentials magazine online:
ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=45

9. NOW ONLINE: FIRST IEEE JOURNAL FROM 1913
The IEEE this month made available to its online subscribers the earliest issues of its first technology journal, dating back to 1913. Currently known as "Proceedings of the IEEE," the journal was titled "The Proceedings of the IRE" when it premiered in January of 1913. The IRE (Institute of Radio Engineers) was one of two predecessor organizations which merged to form the IEEE in 1963. "Proceedings of the IEEE" issues from 1963 forward were previously available online through the IEEE Xplore digital library. This update brings the first seven years of the title online (1913 - 1919); issues from later years will follow in the coming months. Visit: ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=10933

To commemorate the relaunch of "Proceedings of the IEEE," IEEE is giving away 1,000 copies of the June 2006 issue on Systems-on-Chip Design & Integration. Visit: www.ieee.org/web/publications/procieee/free_issue_form.html

10. NEW POWER RESEARCH IN THE IEEE XPLORE DIGITAL LIBRARY

IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics (v. 21, no. 4)
ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=34607

IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery (v. 21, no. 3)
ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=34480
IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (v. 53, no. 3 - parts 1, 2, 3)
ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isnumber=34476

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WHAT'S NEW @ IEEE IN POWER
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Managing Editor: John Platt j.platt@ieee.org

Contributing Editors: Diana Fuksin, Robert J. Howe, Brian Pedersen, Ryan Thomas, Cari Wolfert

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